A spectacular first Chelsea goal from David Luiz and an equally well-struck penalty from Frank Lampard turned around the game in the second-half.
A disjointed Blues were losing 1-0 to a first-half Wayne Rooney goal when the freshly signed defender from Brazil smashed the ball into the bottom corner of the Matthew Harding End net shortly after the restart, giving his side a foothold in the game.
As both sides counter-attacked furiously in what developed into a very entertaining contest, it was Chelsea that finished strongest, and were rewarded by a penalty for a foul on substitute Yury Zhirkov. Just to compound Man U misery, Nemanja Vidic was sent-off in stoppage time.
In the build-up to the game Carlo Ancelotti had given only morsels of information away on his tactical intentions, but he decided to make just one change from the side that had done so well in Denmark.
David Luiz was available for selection once again so was drafted back into central defence for his full home debut with Branislav Ivanovic moving to right-back, Jose Bosingwa dropping to the bench.
He was joined there by Paulo Ferreira in a late switch to the subs after Mikel felt a problem with his knee in the warm-up.
The team shape remained 4-4-2 with Man United unchanged and 4-4-1-1, Rooney playing behind Hernandez in their attack.
It was a flying start to the game in terms of pace and Chelsea wasted a great chance to score after only four minutes. It came from a rapid counter-attack,David Luiz bringing the ball out of the area and feeding fellow Brazilian Ramireswho flew past Nani and was fouled, but the ball was with Anelka and referee Martin Atkinson played on. The low cross was perfect for Malouda to strike but he hit it straight at Van der Sar. That was disappointing.
On 11 minutes Malouda was involved again, pushing a ball ahead that Essien forced through a tackle but then had a shot deflected wide.The challenges were hard-hitting. Cole won a thunderous but fair block tackle with Nani, only for Ramires to catch Carrick late in the next 50-50 to earn a booking.
On 15 minutes there were balls flashed across the area at both ends, Evra trying to find a colleague and Anelka the target.
Five minutes later, Rooney made a mess of a header when stationed in front of goal. He was then the perpetrator of what appeared a barge on Ramires tinged with spite after the England striker had not got the decision in a challenge withDavid Luiz.
Around the halfway point of the first period, Man U enjoyed a good spell of pressure but Cech with a commanding catch at a corner and David Luiz with a well-positioned clearance dealt with the danger.
However there was a continuing threat with the visitors finding space out wide and in front of the Chelsea defence. It was from a position 25 yards from goal that Rooney took possession for his opener. Turning and unchallenged, he decided to shoot and found the power to beat Cech and hit the bottom corner. There were 29 minutes gone.
Ten minutes later the visitors survived by the skin of their teeth. Torres was fouled by the complaining Evra and Van der Sar pushed Lampard's high-velocity free kick out to Ivanovic. The Serbian bundled the ball towards goal but Var der Sar saved again, pushing the ball up and onto the chest of the retreating Vidic.
Chelsea had another free-kick opportunity at the very end of the first half, Vidic booked for a foul on Essien. Cole was the unusual taker and put the ball over the same bar as his penalty shoot-out miss the last occasion he'd tried to score at the Shed End.
There was precious little from Chelsea to suggest a way back at the start of the second half, another Lampard free-kick hit too straight apart, until David Luiz scored his memorable maiden Chelsea goal.
The source was an aerial ball into the box which Ivanovic won and as the it bounced high off the pitch, the Brazilian showed sumptuous technique to keep his shot down and rifle it in from 15 yards with Van der Sar unable to react.
There were 54 minutes played and the game was very much alive. The committed challenges continued, David Luiz on Hernandez, Ivanovic on Nani and then a tackle from behind by the Chelsea scorer on the Man United scorer that earned a booking. David Luiz later tangled off the ball with Rooney leading to protests from the visitors. The new signing from Benfica was at the heart of the action!
Ancelotti kept his promise to involve Drogba by giving him the last half-hour in place of Anelka.
Rooney was next to show however, finding space down the Chelsea right but firing his shot across goal, and then with 15 minutes to go he turned past the tight-marking David Luiz but shot at Cech.
Essien became Chelsea's third booked player for pushing over Evra shortly before the foul that turned the game firmly back in Chelsea's favour.
On his last visit to the Bridge, Smalling scored an own-goal winner for Chelsea against Fulham. Today he hung out a leg as substitute Zhirkov burst past him following a Lampard pass and the ref pointed to the spot. Lampard was unerring from 12 yards, smacking the penalty high past Van der Sar.
via Chelsea TV
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